Could anyone tell me if there was a Pub in Mitcheldean (Plump)that was called the
Avondale?
In about 1905 a late relative of mine went down to see his Grandparents,
John & Harriet Merry,who he said lived in an old Pub which he thought was called
the Avondale.
Cheers,John Lumb.

1901 Census, Glos. East Dean
Plump Road - District 10

MERRY

JOHN - 58, Timberman Coal Hewer, below - born Staffs, West Bromwich
Harriet - 58 - Glos. Longhope
Albert - 25 - Coal Filler underground, born East Dean
Francis - 19 - born East Dean
Lizzie - 15 - born East Dean

There are 12 pages on this District, a Nags Head (run by Moses SIMMONDS, a Coal Hewer and Point Inn(run by Peter Grimshaw, Innkeeper)

Gloucestershire Pubs (Past & Present)

http://www.gloucestershirecamra.org.uk/pubs/glospubs/new/

I wonder if over the years Abenhall is being confused with "Avondale" ?

The pubs on the Plump would inclde The Point, Nags Head, Miners and Brick House (?)

Hi Slowhands
The info i have is that J&H Merry lived in a house that was once a public
house called the Avondale. my late relative visited them in round-about 1905,and
even called his own house Avondale many years later when he married,i might need to
delve deeper.
regards John.

Just looked at Royal Mail Postcode Bk Yr 2000
1 entry under Plump Hill, Mitcheldean.

ALLANDALE - Postcode GL17 0ET

- this might be the property with slight name adjustment.

Thats also the correct area, near The Firs and below The Wilderness.

2010
THE FIRS,
PLUMP HILL,
MITCHELDEAN,
GLOUCESTERSHIRE,
GL17 0ET

In 1901 Joseph MERRY is living at The Firs.

Joseph Merry abt 1847 Longhope, Gloucestershire, England Head East Dean, Gloucestershire
Ann Merry abt 1848 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife East Dean, Gloucestershire
Frank Merry abt 1883 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean, Gloucestershire
Martha Cale abt 1872 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean, Gloucestershire
Martin Cale abt 1875 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son-in-law East Dean, Gloucestershire
Sidney Cale abt 1900 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean, Gloucestershire

Hi Guy's
Just looked up the 1911 census & John & Harriet are still
living on the Plump in an 8 roomed property,a bit grand for a general labourer?
Would a pub in those days have had 8 rooms? As for Joseph Merry he could
have been Johns brother, i don't know.
Thanks lads, John.

1841 Census, Dean Forest, Newnham
Plump Hill

Charlotte MERREY - 30 - Indp
Mary - 5

1841 - Wolverhampton, Bilston

Joseph MERRY - Miner age 25 - not born in County

1851 Census Longhope

MERRY

Joseph 37, Ag Lab. born Arlingham
Charlotte - 42, born Longhope
John 8 - born Balsall Heath
Joseph 4 - born Glos. Longhope
Eliza 1 - born Longhope

(Balsall Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands)

1861 Census, Longhope
Collage

Joseph MERRY - age 48, Ag Lab. born Arlingham
Charlotte MERRY - age 53 - born Longhope
John MERRY - 19, born Warwick, Balsall Heath
Eliza MERRY - 12 - born Glos. Longhope

1871 Census
The Plump

MERRY

John - 29 born Worcs. Bosall Heath
Harriett - 29, born May Hill
Emma - 9 - born Glos. Abbenhall
Thomas - 7 - born Lea Bailey
Joseph 5, Dinah 3, John 1 -

1881 Census
East Dean

MERRY

John - 38 - born Birmingham
Harriet - 38
Tom 17, Joseph 14, Dinah 13, John 11, George 9, Albert 6, Mary 3, Allen 1

1891 Census
Plump Hill

MERRY

John 48, born Staffordshire Bosleath
Harriett - 48 born Longhope
Albert 15, Mary 13, Allen 11, Frances 9, Elizabeth 5

FOD records

Marriage at Abenhall

Joseph MERRY (Hundred of St Briavels) married Charlotte BLEWET - 25 July 1835,
witnesses: Richard & Ann BLEWET

1841 Census Lower & Upper Longhope

Richard BIAVET - age 35 Ag. Lab
Ann - 45
Charlotte - 20 - FOD records, 21 February 1822, Longhope - Richard & Anne BLEWITT
Elizabeth - 15

Richard BLEWITT (Bachelor) - Longhope, married Anne BOWERS - (Spinster) - 8 November 1821

witnesses: John & Elizabeth BLEWITT

John

I think we wandered down this road a year ago :-) Looking at father Joseph 1812, and his sons John and Joseph

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=19802

the 1911 property sounds like it might have been a Pub or coaching house,

Hi Slowhands
Your probably right, too many Merry's?
Tell me, where or what is the Plump?
Regards John.

Plump ( Hill) is a piece of higher ground on the road between Mitcheldean and Nailbridge. The is a settlement there and a quarry or two .

One may have been the small isolated farmhouse west of Plump hill which Thomas Crawley-Boevey granted under lease to Giles Loquier in 1729. The farmhouse, part of the Colchester family's estates from 1749, (fn. 16) became known as Loquiers Farm (fn. 17) arid by 1840 a barn had been built to the east in a detached part of Newland parish where the farmland lay. (fn. 18) In the 1780s there were apparently three cottages at the bottom of Plump hill, south-west of Mitcheldean. (fn. 19) By 1832 the number of dwellings in the hamlet of Plump hill had risen to c. 32, (fn. 20) and the development of Westbury Brook mine and other industrial activity stimulated more random building there later in the century. (fn. 21) Some new buildings faced the Mitcheldean-Coleford road, constructed over the hill in 1841. (fn. 22) One of the first, half way up the hill, was a beerhouse in 1851. (fn. 23) Later called the Point inn, it was demolished during road improvement after 1960. (fn. 24) Higher up the road a pair of small houses was built in 1876 by the quarrymaster Aaron Simmonds. (fn. 25) Much further along the road on Merring Meend a pair of houses built near Fairplay mine in 1856 (fn. 26) was later converted as four cottages. (fn. 27) Most houses built at Plump Hill in the 20th century were on the lower part of the hill. Cottages dotting the steep wooded hillsides further south, near Abenhall, include an early group in Horsepool bottom. (fn. 28)

From: 'Forest of Dean: Settlement', A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), pp. 300-325. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23266 Date accessed: 10 July 2010.

Hi John
Just for information really, my son married a Julie Merry (they are now divorced) who is the direct ancestor of Joseph Merry and Charlotte. Also in the article there is a mention of Aaron Simmonds, he is the brother of my direct ancestor. I have also found on one of the census a Simmonds living next to the Merry family.
If you need any information please do not hesitate to ask.
I was working on the Merry family to give to Julie for a Christmas present, but they were divorced before I finished it.
Kind regards
Gill

Is Julie Merry Bernard's daughter?
Is Bernard living in or around Mitcheldean?
I believe I've rec'd an email from you. You're a Simmonds if I'm not mistaken.
I recall asking you what a "Yat" is. ;-)

Hi Gill

I'm Warm_Paw from the above thread but it's been so long since I've posted, I've lost my information.
Is there anyway you could contact Julie Merry and obtain an email address from her.
Explain to her that it's a Canadian cousin. She may remember the visit if I have the right cousin.
I recall meeting her in Toronto in the 1980's, she was going to school in the US if I'm not mistaken.

Regards

John Merry

My maiden name is Julie Merry. I was born and grew up in Castleford. Searching around I came across a lot of info on my family who I know came from Mitcheldean. My father was Clifford Merry recently passed away. His father was Clifford Merry born abt 1907. I believe my great grandparents were John and Ellen Merry, my great great grandparents were Joseph and Charlotte Merry. Think my great grandfather John Merry moved to Castleford with his two brothers Joseph and Tom to work in the mines.

Hi.
I believe John and Harriet were my great great grandparents. Their son John was my great grandfather.

Hi Merry and a very warm welcome to the forum. Thanks for posting and adding your information to this thread. Unfortunately it's possible the posters you've replied to (John lumb, warmpaw etc) may not see your posts, as they posted over 9 years ago and don't seem to be currently actively using the forum, or at least not under these old usernames. You can tell this because their usernames are displaying in black; if they were active they'd be displayed as blue hyperlinks, which can be clicked-on to discover their posting history etc.
Hoping this is of help, if you have any more queries please ask.
Thanks, J.

Baptism at Glass Houghton St Paul

Clifford MERRY - born 3 February 1907 - christened 9 May 1907

parents: John (Miner) and Ellen - address 17 Durham Street

---

Ancestry has a Public Members Tree on Ancestry (which may or not be correct!!)

With: John MERRY and Ellen MASON.

Contributor (name: MARPLEBRIDGE) hasn't signed in for 3 to 11 months.

This tree goes back to Henry MERRY - born 1530, Cambridgeshire - who died 1554 - in Derby\

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This tree has various census returns - here is the 1851 census Longhope

for Joseph MERRY and Charlotte BLEWITT

MERRY

Joseph - 37 - born Arlingham
Charlotte - 42 born Longhope
John - 8
Joseph - 4
Eliza - 2
Thomas BLEWITT - Lodger - aged 20 - born Longhope.

As a child I recall visiting Nellie merry my dads great auntie, his dad cliffords sister, in the house in Durham Street. Nellies granddaughter still lives in the Castleford area.

My great great grandparents were John and Harriet Merry. My great grandfather was their son John. My grandfather was his son Clifford. My dad was his son Clifford junior who recently passed away age 92.

What a coincidence! I am Julie Merry. Joseph and Charlotte were my great great great grandparents.